The 2024 horror movie that's secretly the best movie of the year

Key points

• Late Night with the Devil, a horror film released in 2024, can be considered the best of the year.
• The film excels thanks to David Dastmalchian's performance and a captivating and unpredictable plot.
• The film remains underrated, despite receiving positive reviews and top ratings on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes.

2024 was a memorable year in terms of horror movie. Fans of the genre were treated to the likes of Alien: Romulus, The substance, Terrifier 3, A quiet place: first dayAND Smile 2to name just a few. However, there is one scary movie released this year that is better than the rest and might actually be one of the best movies of 2024. That movie is Late night with the devil.

First, it should be said that the film was technically released in 2023, after premiering at the South by Southwest Film Festival in the United States on March 10, 2023. However, it only got a wider release in 2024. Late night with the devil was released in UK and US cinemas on 22 March 2024. This means it should be considered a 2024 film, not a 2023 one.

What is Late Night With The Devil about?

The film stars the talented David Dastmalchian as Jack Delroy, a late night talk show host whose show has seen a rapid decline in viewership. Jack decides to do something drastic to boost his show's ratings one very spooky Halloween night, and everything ends up going horribly wrong – for him and everyone involved with the show.

This is a pretty vague account of what happens in the film. However, it's best not to spoil anything for those who haven't had the chance to see the film yet. There are some twists that viewers may not see coming, and some terrifying scares along the way. However, there are two key factors that make this film so good.

What makes a late night with the devil so good?

Dastmalchian's performance is exceptional. He is able to make the viewer root for him despite the fact that he is clearly embarking on a dangerous journey and putting many innocent people in danger. His actions are incredibly selfish, but Dastmalchian still makes the character likable.

Second, Late night with the devil has a stunning ending, which is one of the best third endings of any film released in 2024. It ultimately goes to some wild places, but the slow build-up means its over-the-top ending feels justified. It's a testament to everyone involved in making this film, from the writers/directors (Cameron and Colin Cairnes) to the actors.

The film also perfectly captures the look and feel of the late seventies. The costumes are fantastic and it all adds to the sense of foreboding and doom that is ever-present Late night with the devil. That feeling stays with the viewer long after the film ends.

Late Night with the Devil is the best horror film of 2024

Although, as previously mentioned, 2024 was a particularly good year for horror, there is no other film in the genre that has managed to do this Late night with the devil Done. The film is both terrifying and fascinating. The way it was filmed also adds to this, floating between behind-the-scenes footage and actual late-night talk show footage.

Every time the show takes a commercial break, the film shows viewers what's going on behind the scenes. In these moments, the viewer really understands what is at stake, what Jack Delroy is doing and how much danger he is putting everyone in danger to increase his ratings.

Why isn't anyone talking about this movie?

This is a great question, but it's also slightly inaccurate. People talked about the movie. It received great reviews from critics and people who saw the film were very positive about it.

The film has a fairly impressive overall rating of 7/10 on IMDb after over 100,000 reviews. Late night with the devil it has a whopping 97% score. Rotten tomatoes, which also places it first on the “50 Best New Horror Movies of 2024” list. In the end he beat the likes of The substance, Terrifier 3, Strangeness, In the flames, Smile 2, Long legsAND I saw the glow of the TV.

All of these horror films were incredibly well received, and yet, Late night with the devil – a small independent film with a relatively small budget – came first. This speaks for itself and also suggests that since 2024 was such a strong year for horror, it could be one of the best released this calendar year. It deserves to be seen by more people and hopefully it will be.

Late night with the devil is available to stream on Shudder and can be purchased on VOD.